Good find, John-O! Most South Sea movies were B-movies, and few B actors got Walk-of-fame stars. But then again, the criteria for getting a star are not that clear, either.

And Chuck, I love classic Hollywood films too (that's why I ended up here in town), and too am saddened that nowadays kids think of "Star Wars" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" when you mention that term.

So moving forward what about statues? Like the Jack Lord bust at the Kahala Mall, The Alfred Apaka statue at the Hawaiian Village, The Elvis "Aloha from Hawaii" statue at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. Even though I'm more interested in his life as the figure head of a restaurant / nightclub than as an Olympic Athlete isn't there a bust of Duke Kahanamoku at the Huntington Beach pier or maybe even at every pier? These are the things this should be about the "Hey that's neat, I like that guy and I'm glad someone else does too." type stuff. Not so much with Elvis as he has no shortage of fans but hopefully you get the idea.

As for as Jim Backus, yes it's ridicules to include him here but if I didn't YOU would have and I would have done the same to you if this were your post. With Tom Selleck I tried to go for the obvious, someone’s gonna post it sooner or later so let's try and get it outta the way but it didn't work so well... I overlooked Kermit the Frog.

There are also stars for Sportscaster Les "The General" Keiter, Doug Mossman, Frank Delima, and Dolly (I never quite figured that one out?) Parton. There are also stars where the names are undecipherable. Why? Because that inner courtyard is where the King's Guard performs their rifle drill nightly and it involves pounding the rifle on the pavement...

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On 2011-05-31 07:11, bigbrotiki wrote:...And just because your repeated whining about Don Ho, I will repeat what I wrote in "The Sound of Tiki."

"Don Ho is often mentioned in conjunction with Tiki style, a fact which calls for some differentiation. Although Hawaii and Hawaiian tourism were the inspiration for Tiki culture, it was the American mainland where Tiki was turned into an art form.

I beg to differ slightly Sven. He certainly is not Exotica, but...

Don Ho is TIKI. (Sorry, couldn't resist. )

His primary venue, Duke Kahanamoku's on the Beach (formally "Don The Beachcomber's" 2nd Hawaii locale in the makai/Diamondhead end of the International Market Place off Kalakaua.) was Tiki-laden. Beach had sold it to the Wilder-McVay family to further finance his expansion of the International Market Place. McVay was Don's Manager. Don Ho later moves performances to Kaiser's Hawaiian Village (also full of Tiki in the 1960.) The Hawaiian Village was also home to exotica greats Denny and Lyman during certain periods.

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...his career did not take off until the second half of the 60s, after the Tiki trend had peaked."

Not going to debate Ho's music. But while that time-frame is correct on the mainland, it's pretty clear that the Tiki-style was still going strong in HAWAII until the late 1970's.

In the 1980's, all 3 of the BIG restaurant chains were still operating (Trader Vic's, Don the Beachcomber's, The Sheraton Kon-Tiki room) as well as the Tahitian Lanai and Canlis. Not until Donn's passing in 1989 did it all fall into the massive decline seen in the islands.

John-O, did I show this to you during your last trip here? Don Ho has a star and you can see his handprints in it. It's just a bit far from Hollywood...

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Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.

On 2011-05-31 07:11, bigbrotiki wrote:John-O, you are reaching a little too far there - just like this year's Tiki Oasis is really reaching with their "Tijuana Brass" theme.

Reaching!? Tijuana Brass theme, reaching?

Is not Herb Alpert's (false) embracing of the exotic lands of Mexico and Spain the last, dieing vestige of Exotica's similar grasping for a faraway Eden in any tropical locale?
Did Exotica not move closer and closer in to its roots â€“ America. Starting with truly far away lands such as Easter Island and even Hawaii but Hawaii moved moved closer with the Jet Age. Then Exotica moved closer with Mexico (Herb Alpert and the Witco Spanish style) then even closer with Florida Keys, Jimmy Buffet, Yacht Rock, etc.

Not that all of this is good, but one could argue that Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass movement was the last step in Exotica. Don Ho would be a separate branch attached to the tree of Hawaii. But Herb and his imitators, Julius Wechter's Baja Marimba Band, Chet Baker's Mariachi Brass, etc. spawned a whole movement in design, (hellooooo Witco!) food, drink (margaritas!!), and even dress â€“ harachi sandals and panchos, etc

Arthur Lyman's biggest hit is "Yellow Bird" a simple Latin tune

Almost all great Exotica tunes are built on Latin rhythms

Herb Alpert was the last musician to be able to pull off the facade of an Exotic Other, and therefore, the last in the line of inheritors to the Exotica music kingdom created by Les Baxter and Martin Denny.